The Barber's Vengeance
by Penelope Knights
Summary: Mrs. Lovetts mother in law visits  and reminds Nellie of the promise she made to her husband on his deathbed, that she would never love another man after his passing.


M'am, it's time to wake up. Shop opens in an hour." Toby pushed slightly on shoulder. She turned over towards him and groaned. Rubbing her eyes she sat up and hugged Toby.

"Be there in a minute love." she released him and he walked out. Her mind kept buzzing about Sweeney. She couldn't stop thinking about him lately. After getting dressed she walked into the kitchen to find Toby sitting at the table waiting for breakfast. She could hear Mr. Todd's footsteps above. Her heart skipped a beat. Just thinking about him set her hear in a frenzy. "Fresh meat today." she thought. She shuttered at the thought of butchering those innocent people. The thought of having to prepare those things for the grinder gave her the chills. But she does it without a complaint, all for Mr. Todd. She looked over at Toby. He had bags under his eyes and looked pale. "You alright love?"

"Yes M'am, just a nightmare." She sat down next to him and hugged him close to her. "You want to talk about it?"

He just looked at the floor

"Not really" she kissed his head and stood up.

"If you ever want to you know I'm here." He smiled at her and brought his eyes back down to the floor. "Poor thing." she thought. She walked up to Sweeney's shop to see if he was hungry. She walked into the room and found him staring at himself in the mirror. He turned around when he saw her in the reflection of the mirror.

"You want some breakfast love?"

"No." Picking up one of his razors he turned towards the window. Mrs. Lovett sighed. He's always unhappy, she just wished he could do something. She loved him, she always has loved him. Ever since she set eyes in Benjamin Barker she knew she was in love. Hiding her tears she turned around and went back to her room. She wanted to cry, she wanted to be loved. Not even her past husband loved her. Toby walked in the room.

"M'am...someone is here to see you."

"Who is it love?"

"Not quite sure, I think she is related to you, she has the same last name as you."

"Oh shit!" She thought. "My ex-mother in law." The last time she saw her was last year. Every time she visits she stay with her for a few days. Usually she would stay upstairs, but Mr. Todd is up there now. She sighed with relief. She hated it when she stayed with her. She ate her out of her supplies. All she would do is eat.

"Coming love, tell her I'll be out in a moment."

"Yes m'am." he turned and walked out the door. She rushed to her nightstand and hid the picture she kept of Sweeney. The was no way she could risk her seeing it.

She walked into the shop to find a heavy old woman at one of the tables. "Yup.." She huffed under her breath, "That's Martha." The old woman turned around.

"Nellie!" She stood up with open arms. "How have you been deary?"

"I've been doing well, business is doing good. How have you been?"

"Never better!" Martha was always one for being happy, sometimes a little too happy for Mrs. Lovett's liking.

"How about a pie?" As soo as Martha heard "pie" her face lit up. She is one of the only people who actually liked her pies. Well, before she changed the "ingredients" so to speak.

"I would love one! Oh how I have missed your pies Nellie!" She placed a pie on a plate ands put it in front of her. She watched her gobble in down and of course ask for another. They started to chat and talk about life, Mrs. Lovett told her about how Sweeney lives upstairs now. "Oh love that's okay! I was planning on staying with my sister anyways."

"Thank the lord." she huffed under breath.

"Did you say something?"

She smiled. "No I did not."

"I see.." She took a swig of gin."That young lad of yours Toby, is he your... son?"

Mrs. Lovett gave out a faint laugh. "Not at all, I took him in after his master...disappeared."

"Disappeared you say?" She just nodded in response, she said too much already. A huge grin swept across Martha's face."So I'm guessing that means your keeping your promise to Albert?" Shit! She had completely forgotten. His last request, never love another man after he was gone.

"Y-yes." Lie. She couldn't never keep that promise, she was in love with Mr. Todd. And she never planned on keeping it anyways. She stood up and began to put a tray of pies in the oven.

"Good, oh I miss him Nellie don't you?" Miss him? No! Never! That bastard! That liar! I'm glad he's dead!

She sighed "Of course..." Another lie. She didn't miss him one bit. "To hell with him" she thought. He deserved to die, it was his own fault. "That lair, that ungrateful cheating-" Martha tapped her on the shoulder.

"You alright love?"

"What?...Oh...yes I'm fine..." There was a minute of awkward silence.

"Mr. Todd sounds like a nice young man." Mrs. Lovett looked at the floor.

"Yes indeed."

"Now don't you go running off getting married with him though. You can't break a promise you know deary" Martha started to laugh. Mrs. Lovett just faked a smile and sighed. Martha kept talking some more, about family and friends, her new business. It bored Mrs. Lovett to death. It wasn't until around dinner when when she finally left. Sighing with relief Mrs. Lovett went upstairs to check on Mr. T. She entered the shop to find The floor covered in blood along with his shirt. He was sitting down in his chair wiping the blood off his razors. He heard the door slam and looked up, then went back to his razors.

"Who was the woman?"

She hesitated and looked at the floor. "My ex-mother in law." He looked up, and looked somewhat nervous.

"What did she want?"

"She stopped by to say hello." He smiled that devilish smile that made Mrs. Lovett melt inside. She loved it when he smiled, he's always angry and moody since the day he came back. So it felt kinda nice to see him smile.

"It took the entire day to say hello?" They both laughed. She loved to see him happy. After a minute he stopped laughing. He turned around and walked to the window. He stared outside for a minute."Um..can I ask you something?"

"Of course love."

He didn't look at her, he just kept staring at the streets of London. He turned his head around, and kept his gaze to the floor. "How did he die?" Oh God...she thought. She never had told a soul what really happened. No response, she just stood there, silent. He looked at her and saw the worried look on her face. "Never mind i shouldn't have asked.."

"No...its ok. I'll tell." She knew he secret would be safe. She covers up all his murders, he can cover hers.

"I poisoned him..." His eyes widened and he was silent.

"...Why?"

She turned around, faced the wall and stared at the blood soaked floor. "H-he..." she turned around and looked at Sweeney. She smiled. "He deserved to die..." He looked at her for moment. Slowly a grin came over his face, she smiled back. She looked over at Sweeney's broken mirror and saw her cheeks were bright red. She turned around so he wouldn't walked towards her and put his hand on her shoulder. She turned around and faced him, the faces inches apart. They started to lean in closer. A second later Toby rushed through the door.

"Mum I-" he saw the two and jumped. "I-I was just..um I...n-nevermind." Startled Toby turned around and ran down the stairs, followed by a moment of complete silences. Mrs. Lovett looked at the floor and sighed. "I'll clean this up." Before she could turn around Sweeney grabbed her arm and spun her around close to his face, again.

"No." He flashed a smile, which made her blush even more. "I'll do it. Go get some rest, you look exhausted." She looked into his eyes and couldn't stop smiling.

"Okay...goodnight Mr. T." She was still smiling. She turned to walk out but he didn't let go, instead he pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek.

"Goodnight...Mrs. Lovett." Stunned she walked out the door. Her head spinning. Oh my god... She thought. We almost kissed, and he kissed my cheek! She continued to smile all the way back to her room. She laid down in bed, still smiling. She whispered to herself "At last..."


End file.
